You had all been working hard in preparation of your first mission: Rebuilding the north roads towards Iuz for the Queen of the Shield Lands, whose infrastructure thad taken a beating from the repeated assembled hordes incursions.

Unfortunately your short,stubby carriage was stopped for the night when it was descended upon by what must have been a hungry, mated pair of Ankhegs. The foul mantis like burrowing insect beasts ate the four horses and dissolved all four of your chaperones with their deadly & acidy vomit.

After fleeing the carnage and hiding in some trees overnight, your group snuck back to the now ruined carriage, and procured the remaining salvageable gear and food stuffs that remained. You found the hideous looking yet well appointed & powerful looking [[Cleric-Noble Blozar]] and his entourage at the scene. His heavily armed and well feathered entourage reading through what must be your working papers.

Blozar explains that he was contacted about something amiss from a scrying tool, and being affiliated with the various citystates of the area took the consignment to deliver you to a new contract in the vicinity of the City of Greyhawk.

A quick transport landed you in a strange weathered fortified structure of three buildings- two towers, a large “mall” within a earthern rampart 10 leagues in circumference. Armed men stood along the rampart at 100’ apart , and a dozen vagabond halfling theives quickly set upon you. Blozar stepped in before you were picked clean and escorted you into Herzog’s stronghold.

Once in Herzogs’s tower, you were treated to a feast of unparallelled generosity. Your group marveled at the imbued richness and sturdy generic details which made this well appointed outpost the wonder that it is.
Herzog explained that he needed fresh recruits off the main adventuring scene to map the dungeon levels definitively, and for each level well mapped he would pay 1,000 GP. Of course the level mapped has to be a certain size, and you will be thoroughly scryed for truthfulness etc etc. Your pedigree and experience level seem perfect for the job.
The gorgeous princess Princess Rissotta also made an appearance stirring the heartstrings of the eager-but-as-yet uninstrumented bard Flueder Flam- Her majestic body and somewhat endearingly irregular nose & angular features conveyed such a mystifying spell of unique beauty he fell quickly in her thrall.

Later you were shown to room, a large barracks like dormitory on the third floor-and you realized that your neighbors were a strange and unfriendly crew of adventurers themselves: a Badger magic user, a Centaur rogue and a Druid. They gave you the stink-eye fierce, and thwarted your attempts to spy on them.
After resting up, Seven of your group ventured through the towns building and main markets, and you were solicited for aid by the scamp named Culum the Scallywag A brief glimpse of your dormitory rivals was seen.

He explained his father was taken away out of his shoppe by terrible somethings or others, you needed to help rescue him desparately! He led you to a boarded up merchant shoppe and in the basement you found a well appointed brew pub, and signage that indicated a crude “zoo” of sorts. After searching through a series of rooms and tunnels you encountered a number of strange creatures, not all of them friendly. Shaloub the used his nunchaku to obliterate a small gang of goblins, and your party eliminated all routes but one. After one happy go lucky explorer was eaten by the hydra lurking in the cesspool, It was time to rest.
Some of you wandered back off into town, a few stayed to keep watch. See FIRE DOWN BELOW in the Adventure Log.

Flueder Flam & “The Princess” have been creeping around town, periodically hidden in the shadows and trying to find things which are hidden.
Mugnafu and Bamu have been checking things out and bump into Shaloub the Monk.
Flueder suggests going back to the rest of the group.
Bamu puts on a sideshow of healing for some peasants.

Actions:
Flueder says, “All of this walking around is fine and good but I need some action and some new adventures to write about. Come on let’s go meet up with the others and see if they are ready to continue back into the tunnels.”

Varuca the Paladin strolls through the Bazaar, sneering at the lecherous gentry giving her the eye. “Like I am so Shure this Bazaar is lame, lets try to find the party and smite some evil, that would be like, totally hawt.”

After hearing the pained cries of the tiny giant-kin that were left in the brew-pub area of the cellars, The cleric Robard the Red charges down the ladder from the trap door to investigate and finds himself the target of a number of arrows coming from the shadows-North.

A few close calls miss him and finally a hit in his arm- Ow! 2 points of wounding..

He sees:

Glacon clearly already dead from a hail of arrows,sprouted from his chest like a bouquet of death, and his compatriot Rocky trapped behind the cover of the bar!

Rocky looks to you paralyzed by fear!!

Robard, Crystal Wynd the wizard and Beetlebrow are the only PCs still in the merchant’s shoppe & able to respond.

Actions taken?

Beetlebrow snatches up his wand and drags Culum along by his collar. “Time for adventure boy!” Beetlebrow hitches his trousers up, winks at Culum and leaps down the stairs ready to let loose with the most extravagant magic missile he can muster (the gnome prides himself on visual FX at the cost of effectiveness)

He sees Robard pierced by an arrow, and pointing toward the northewestern tunnel!
You see a few man sized figures in the shadows toward that direction.

Beetlebrow gesticulates a spell and narfs off a Magic Missile toward the shadows—
Moans are heard and curses follow with retreating footfalls. Culum shouts an expletive & dives for cover with Rocky behind the bar.

Robard, Crystal Wynd, and Beetlebrow
Next Actions:
Beetlebrow mage-hands a table across the tunnel entrance and unsheathes his dagger. Brandishing it menacingly, he growls, “Hear this man-sized figures! Come snuff out your likely wicked lives on the end of my blade! Culum! Comport yourself as befits the apprentice of a great wizard! Get out from behind there!”

Your retort goes unanswered. Culum peeks his head above the bar with a crude firebomb fashioned from a bottle of spirits and a bar rag, he removes the bar rag and drinks from the bottle, then replaces the rag before asking ” All clear Guv’nah?”
Next Actions: BBrow, Crystal Wynd, Robard
IN Cellar:

Robard tears the arrow out of his arm and flings it against the floor. He picks up his Warhammer and with a silent prayer to Dumathoin he chases after the vile heathens who attacked them.

..Robard gets 20,30,50 feet into the unlit tunnel- it goes on further, but he sees or hears nothing further. Whatever creatures had brazenly attacked the innocent lackey has seemingly fled for now.

The band of adventurers that have gathered in town head back through the thick fog to the underlevel of the mall and toward the boarded up merchant shoppe that they had begun to explore.

Flueder Flam the Bard, Ikyllyuu the Barbarian, Varuca the Paladin, Shaloub the Monk, The “princess” halfling rogue, Mugnafu 1/2 orc cleric fighter, Bamu Cleric of St. Cuthbert and Noel Neznarf, a simple Ranger of the Gnarley wood approach the shoppe.

50 yards from the entry to the Shoppe:
Ikyllyuu stops and feels like someone is watching him approach, no, HE KNOWS IT.
Neznarf see’s horses hoofprints leading up to and around the house, but he dont remember no horses bein’ inside the castle…?? He scratches his head.
Varuca puts her hand to her sword…
Bamu fumbles about organizing himself in his clothes…
Shaloub lowers his center of gravity…
Mugnafu scratches himself where it itches and reminds himself to buy some powder…

Any other actions?
I -Kill-ewe speaks: Brothers and Sisters! I believe I see shadows over yonder. It’s hard to say, but I think they are SNAKES. Maybe six in total.
Shaloub: On alert, centered and nunchukas ready continues to make way towards the shoppe. (Not sure if the snakes are between us and the shop?) More interested in the hoof prints and if there is indication of them or some other tracks going into the shoppe. (Of course the party member tracks are all over the place)

The hoofprints seem to abruptly stop right where you are…. There is a palable silence in the swirling mist. Visibility for the 100 paces to the shoppe is moderately obscured.

The party members that had gone to the shoppes congregated in the bazaar and then returned en masse to the merchant shoppe which Culum had led them to. The cellar of this boarded up shoppe housed the expansive cellars with several aberrant versions of fabled dungeon creatures assembled as a sort of entrprenuerial makeshift “zoo”.

As the group approached the street section if the shoppe:
It was an unnaturally foggy and misty plod through the sub level on approach.
After a warning cry about “Snakes in the shadows” by the barbarian (joining the group from your dormitory), you found the purported “snakes” to be actually thieves en masse, striking from hidden stalking spots the area in the fog.
An ambush!

While being assaulted by the substantial group of rogues, you saw some curious spell castings- a wall of fire (a substantial spell) was used.
Suspiscious evidence that the oddball bunch of adventurers that share your employer were also found.

The rogues took a severe and bloody beat-down, but not after killing two of your group. The scamp Culum the Scallywag and the Cleric Bamu were dropped by the backstabs-the wounds were just too substantial to allow for timely healing. Both bodies were brought into the building, but only Culum the Scallywag was able to be revived.

The dead thieves were quasi stripped, and the dead were stacked in the intersection. Some members of the party removed themselves from the distasteful display.

Once back inside the building, the group re-orginized and 7 adventurers continued into the cellar to explore the passage that the last rogues that attacked had retreated down- up to now unexplored terrain.

Varuca

Neznarf

Beetlebrow

Robard

Flueder

The Princess

Shaloub

The other remaining adventurers stayed back to guard the rear and tend to the convalescing and dead.

Ikyllyuu the barbarian

Mugnafu the 1/2 Orc Cleric

Culum (wounded)

Bamu (dead)

Crystal Wynd (Sorceress)

Rocky (dwarf giant lackey)

Upon further exploration of the cellar, a ruined cage and moated room was found- door torn asunder.
Further into a larger cavern a large Ettin was seen from a balconied area in an arena. There was the discovery of some debris underfoot- Some Small vials of invisibility potion were found and others imbibed and hereafter ensued a lengthy and torturous taunting and ultimately a parley of the hapless creature. He was bribed with foodstuffs in order to allow temporary passage into its lair, and discovery of a secreted section of cavern.

Note: Burt & Jimmy the Ettin are still active and will require regular and significant foodstuffs to keep placated. Please make accommodation.

Careful searching by the Princess discovered a secret entrance to a small cavern system which housed the well appointed office of Zando, the proprietor of this area, along with his papers and some LOOT.
Zando the mage was initially observed by the group being eaten by the Ettin. A search of his body was never accomplished, but he has been completely destroyed/dismembered.

Culum was not particularly distraught by news, he shrugged and muttered something along the lines of “All’’s well that ends well Guv’nah”

A necklace of his with a singular jeweled key was found.

A trap door in the floor lead down a spiral stair to a very ancient and well crafted vaulted area. A raised platform with three keyholes was found. One hole was fit by the key that you found. Pillars in the room depict 6 dwarven clans.

Heading south you encountered a small complex of goblins and mantids, well armored insects that they were breeding. After a series of skirmishes, the Magic user Rorvesh escaped by the aid of a charmed Neznarf, and used him as a human shield to negotiate his escape.
Although fleeing with his equipped personal belongings, his possessions were looted, as were the goblins’.
Additional items were hidden among food stuffs (sacks of grain) to be retreived later. This included some robes of a unknown cult, and a number of bolts of fine silk.
Additionally, another key (the second) was found to fit the pedastal in the anteroom.

Exploration Eastward led to a elevator, which hid a small alcove in its shaft, this yielded a curious wand which has been shot thrice to no avail in deciphering its nature.
There was also a six pack of crossbow bolts in a fine black leather case, and some gold.

Further exploration led you to two areas of possible excavable passage.
An abrupt meeting with what seemed the remainder of the rogues group ended ina stand off and a parley from which they fled. Behind you found a significant stash of weapons, armor and some documents. Additionally the final (third) key for the pedastal was discovered.

With the 3 keys activating the pedastal in the anteroom, it descended into the floor and allowed access into a water trapped are which flooded the passage and pushed the group to a curious door. The intricate and puzzling door was bypassed by a secret door to its right, leading to a corridor for what looked like the tomb of a Dwarven Lord. The corridor had a massive stone ball trap, and another secret passage into a corridor with the tomb. This room proved to be a “false” tomb with fake coins and a gelatinous cube trap. Yet a third secreted door in the floor was found, that the halfling bravely climbed through alone to the real “treasure room” to find 17 stamped gold ingots and two fine ancient weapons.

At this point the party decided to retreat back to the upper level to heal and assess its condition.

How will loot be identified?
Will dead member be raised?
How to transfer non-coin valuables into currency?
Purchases and re-stocking from agents in town?
Distribution of items amongst party members?

_Well after healthy inspection of unidentified magic items and a number of loot conversions via fencing and merchants, the party members bought the ettin a week’s worth of food, a number of supplies both mundane and arcane and re-organized another expedition into the depths…
Unfortunately, they laid their comrade Bamu to rest with a small donation.

This time Flueder, I-kill-ewe, Varuca, Robard, Shaloub, Mugnafu, & The Princess went back to follow the tracks of their last enounter…following the leads of the collapsed passageways.
I-kill-Ewe examined a pool of human blood was found, (& tasted) ....the hunter spotted a trail of footprints leading INTO a wall, a seret door!. The passageway was ancient, and 4 dead warrior dwarves animated into undead skeletons, they were quickly dispatched by the clerics.
Further along, another somewhat mal-functioning elevator was found, and ONCE activated by the Princess, abruptly broke & ended dropping them another 100 feet below the surface of an unclimbable shaft.
A strange runed passageway beset them with an animated hammer, and while that was being fought others charged ahead into the forge room, quickly freeing an ancient, bound salamander- a pitched battle ensued and in the end the geriatric salamander was slain. A stash of exotic armor and weapons were found.
An anvil of great quality was discovered at the end of the hallway, and in a strange trophy room, a number of unique prizes were obtained, including an irksome white dragon hatchling, which threatened to ruin the exploits of a few of the party until it was gang rushed by peer pressure blood-lust and dispatched by a powerful blow from the bare fists of Shaloub, critically hitting and rupturing its abdomen!

A rude map on a tablet encouraged the party to rest and excavate the rubbled tunnel from the trophy room, and the group began trying to use the map in the new subterranean area.
A strange air shaft was probed, a withered spider within its old lair was discovered. A giant centipede was killed. A small group of orcs was parleyed with, a few strange sticks were found and two drumming ghouls were dispatched and a key found inside their crude drum.
The next room dropped a massive stone wall behind them, forcing them to re-group and press on deeper into the fringes of the unknown area, with the map fragment to lead them.

When last we left, the group had entered a room and a stone wall had fallen barring the entrance.
The room exhibited some columns that were discovered to be plumbing shafts.

Moving forward a number of additional passages were expolored. The princess was able to orient against the scrap of map and the group decided to work towards the middle of the map, hoping to find a route to the surface before things got ugly.

A dry storage fire wood room was found.

A Mirrored corridor containing 20 mirrors was discovered and upon crossing the last mirror the Princess attacked a mirror image of herself, which then stepped out of the mirror. After a short battle to kill the “clone”, she looked into the mirror again, and fought herself for a second time.
The group decided to turn this mirror around to avoid additional mirror image fights.
(this is a Mirror of Opposition)
The group decided to return to the lair of the maintenance orcs, and after poking around enough to find them, asked for directions. The orcs were still relatively uninterested and sent them away.
They explored a few more storerooms, and found stockpiles of some unusual and exotic foodstuffs, as well as a healthy supply of lamp oil in bowling ball sized earthenware pots.
Loaded up with oil they pressed on into a hammer and anvil trap, but good reflexes by all avoided any crushing blows.

Into a natural cavern opening, a strange glowing sigil was etched on a wall.
A hail of arrows assaulted the group- a group of 20 kobolds had built a substantial barricade and began fighting the group from their defensive position.
The party members carrying the oil rolled excellent attacks and landed the oil inthe midst of the defenders- Varuca shot a teriffic critical lonbow shot which destroyed the head of the leader, the conflagration of the oil took care of many of the rest, and the enraged giant weasel of the leader fought in a frenzied attack. The Princess sucessfully “mounted” the weasel and performed rodeo as the rest of the group stabbed it dead. I-Kill-Ewe failed to bring the weasel into “animal friendship”. The Princess cut a one piece weasel head/cape from its hide. A rather gorey drape.

The group moved into the kobold cave and spent a night resting and healing up.
Continuing down the corridor to the East they encountered a teleporter trap, sending them into a tunnel only a fe feet under the floor of where they just stood, but this did a good job disorienting the group. A search discovered a secret door, which opened into a very old and forgotten library. A mysterious cloud hovered about the room, and a skull with glasses proved to be an explosive trap. A thorough sacking of the room uncovered two enormously valuable spell books; once bound with Black Dragon Hide, one elephant covered slate, both with a copious amount of spells.

Beyond the library they entered another are clearly the tomb of another dwarf clan. A battle with two ghouls and a ghast was ultimately successful despite some parylizations. It might have been a TPK if a clutch turning by Robard did not save the day. Flueder’s leg was critically damaged and was “destroyed” barely attached by threads.

Treasure in this room was meager. The main tomb was previously sacked, but did yield an outstanding +4 Hand Axe, and a sceptre. The denizen of the tomb was an ancient Spectre, and this powerful undead dwarf almost had his way with party. The specrtre savaged Shaloub and Varuca until the rest of the party could get their weapons to bear on it. I-Kill-Ewe came up with two mighty blows to sunder him. The sceptre was found to have two powerfull heal scrolls which restored Flueder’s leg, and Shaloub’s consciousness.

The tomb seemed to be a thorough dead end, but an altar room opposite a giant statue the group had passed up was all that remained. Upon entering the strange and unusual Dwarven sacrificial altar I kill-ewe immediately lit the two candles on either arm of the altar- this completed a forstalled ritual and opened a extremely secret door leading to a50 god shrine- Dumathoin, Dwarven god of gems and wealth.
Five chests containing a massive cache of gems were found,four sacks of walnut sized gemstones and an unfathomable wealth, a 25 lb emerald the size of a man’s head.
Each sack of gems weighs 80 lbs. The treasure was dragged back to the kobold lair and the group holed up there to make camp.